Posted on 08/12/2011 3:31:28 PM PDT by SmithL
BART officials acknowledged this afternoon that they shut down cell phone and wireless data service in its downtown San Francisco stations to disrupt a planned protest. Their announcement sparked denunciations from civil libertarians and the apparent threat of a cyber-attack on the BART website.
A statement posted on the transit agency's website said the communications blackout was ordered in the interest of public safety:
"Organizers planning to disrupt BART service on August 11, 2011 stated they would use mobile devices to coordinate their disruptive activities and communicate about the location and number of BART Police," the statement reads.
"A civil disturbance during commute times at busy downtown San Francisco stations could lead to platform overcrowding and unsafe conditions for BART customers, employees and demonstrators. BART temporarily interrupted service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
You are correct, most tunnels have 'leaky-pipe' antennas connected to mini cell stations. But when you get a Federal License for one, you agree to the ITU treaties.
Federal law trumps in this case, localities can't do this without permission from the FCC.
Clearly interstate commerce, the way I read the Constitution. And I'm not a fan of how the IC clause has been abused.
/johnny
Finally my snide comments get noticed!
Jamming radios is unlawful under federal law, and treaty. Don't like it? Change the law.
/johnny
“But when you get a Federal License for one, you agree to the ITU treaties.”
Oh - thanks! So not quite the same as if I turn off my unprotected WI-FI and my neighbor using it gets mad.
I noticed, I grinned, and even chuckled a bit, but I didn't post. We're not supposed to engage punsters. It causes excess punnage. ;)
/johnny
BART goes to other states??
It’s my punnagement I guess
They can leave a message and I'll return their call when I get home.......that's where my cell phone is, just like my land line used to be for the past 60 years........
“They are using things for flash-mobs, stop the service.”
Yep. Screaming FIRE! in a crowded movie theater is not protected free speech either.
If you really want to mess with your neighbor, though, leave your access point open, un-encrypted, and protect it with MAC address allow/disallow. One in 200 can figure out why they can't connect. ;)
Cruel barstid, am I.
/johnny
/johnny
K, so I'll mark you down in the Pro-Life, Anarchist column. ;)
/johnny
There are plenty of emergency phones around the stations for just such cases. Those are land lines, and wouldn't have been affected.
/johnny
Perhaps it was a test in the Gov’s ability to shutdown communications and control the populace. They used the flash mob as the excuse to see the efficiency and effectiveness of new “crowd control” methods.
“Although I suppose they are some form of government entity - so a bit more tricky than if it was some private company. “
Another good reason to privatize as much as possible.
Can you imagine if a city was developed by a private corporation so that all the land, roads and buildings were still owned by the corporation and never handed over to a government to become “public” spaces ? People can protest all they want, but not on private property, so they couldn’t actually disrupt anything within the city. Union thugs couldn’t block businesses because their picket lines would have to be outside the city limits.
Did you leave off the /s or do you really think that companies have the right to change TOS at their pleasure?
Two points. First, it was not the phone companies that disrupted the cellular service in the stations, it was BART. Second, if you read the TOS, you are not guaranteed to have coverage everywhere you go. If you were, you could sue every time you didn't have any signal...
Now, I know it is a violation of FCC regulations for an individual or a private business to interfere with cellular service. That is why theaters cannot block cellular reception in the building, although they would love to be able to do so. But since BART is a quasi-government agency, they are probably allowed by law.
If you or I interfere with cell service, we get in trouble. If a city government shuts down cell service, and their excuse is that it was necessary in a police emergency, I doubt if the feds will intervene.
Unless it was a Republican city doing it to suppress a SEIU demonstration, at which point Holder will ask for the death penalty for all officials involved.
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